Near field communication (NFC) is a set of standards for smartphones and similar devices to establish radio communication with each other by touching them together or bringing them into proximity, by typically a distance of 3.9 inches or less. NFC uses electromagnetic induction between two loop antennas located within each other's near field, effectively forming an air-core transformer. In general, it operates within the globally available and unlicensed radio frequency ISM band of 13.56 MHz on ISO/IEC 18000-3 air interface and at rates ranging from 106 kbit/s to 424 kbit/s.
NFC involves an initiator and a target. The initiator actively generates an RF field that can power a passive target, an unpowered chip called a “tag”. This enables NFC targets to take very simple form factors such as tags, stickers, key fobs, or cards that do not require batteries. NFC peer-to-peer communication is possible, provided both devices are powered. NFC tags contain data and are typically read only, but may be rewritable. The tags can securely store personal data such as debit and credit card information, loyalty program data, PINSs and networking contacts, among other information. Currently, the use of NFC-enabled devices focuses on enabling contactless financial transactions.